Massage Apparatus for the Shower

ABSTRACT

A massage, scrubbing and cleaning apparatus for use in the shower that comprises a casing, a water-powered motor, a drive shaft that creates rotational movement, a drive shaft that creates linear movement, a pad, a clutch, an ON/OFF button, a regulator, and a water hose to the shower head.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to a massage apparatus for use in the shower, and more precisely to an apparatus that is connected to the shower head inlet water hose so that the flow of water activates a rotating and moving pad with a massage, scrubbing and cleaning action.

BACKGROUND ART

People customarily scrub themselves in the shower using sponges and similar means, which they wet with water and use with soap. The scrubbing action itself is used to clean the body and as a kind of massage. The apparatus, subject of the present invention, enables the user to scrub him or herself, and to clean and massage his or her body while taking a shower, without using the hands.

THE DRAWINGS

The drawings attached to the present application are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and the possible ways of its application. The drawings are intended only to illustrate the invention and constitute only one of many possible ways of its application.

Drawing No. 1 presents an external view of the apparatus (1) installed in a shower stall. The drawing depicts the casing (2), the longitudinal slot (21), the pad (6), the shower head (83) and the ON/OFF button (8)

Drawing No. 2 depicts the basic structure of the apparatus (1) including the motor (3), the shower head (83), the drive shafts (4) (5), the gear wheels that connect the motor (3) and the drive shafts (4) (5), the pad (6), and the pad base (61).

Drawings Nos. 3 and 4 depict the apparatus (1) as depicted in Drawing No. 2 with the casing (2) in a semi-transparent view.

Drawings Nos. 5 and 6 depict the apparatus (1) as depicted in Drawing No. 2 with a focus and close-up on the motor (3) and drive shafts (4) (5).

THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus (1) that can be installed in the bathroom or shower stall whereby it includes a pad that both rotates and moves up and down and is designed to scrub, clean and massage the user's body. Another objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus (1), as mentioned, that is powered by the shower's water flow rather than by electricity.

The apparatus (1), subject of the present invention, comprises the following main components: a casing (2), a motor (3), a drive shaft that creates rotational movement (4), a drive shaft that creates linear movement (5), a pad (6), a clutch (7), an ON/OFF button (8), a regulator (81), a water hose to the shower head (82), a soap container (9), and a soap tubule (91).

The casing (2) contains all of the apparatus (1) components and can be of a variety of sizes and dimensions, although the following are the recommended approximate dimensions: height—80 cm, width—20 cm, and thickness—10 cm. Nevertheless, the invention may be implemented with other dimensions as well. The casing can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic, stainless steel, etc. and has the general shape of a closed and hollow box that contains all of the internal components of the apparatus (1). The front of the casing (2) has a longitudinal slot (21) whose function will be explained later on.

The motor (3) is a water-powered motor or, in other words, a motor in which the water flowing through it activates gear wheels and/or drive shafts. Since water-powered motors (3) are a known concept and their principles of operation are well known to experts in the area, there is no need to provide elaborate descriptions here.

The drive shafts (4) (5) are connected to the motor (3) so that when the motor (3) is operating, i.e. when water is flowing through it, both drive shafts (4) (5) rotate. The drive shafts (4) (5) are attached to the motor (3) via gear wheels which the motor (3) activates.

The pad (6) is attached to a base (61) that, in turn, is connected to the two drive shafts (4) (5) so that the linear drive shaft (5) causes the pad base (61) to move up to a certain top point and then descend down to a certain bottom point, and so on and so forth. A “Leonardo” drive shaft, whose structure is well known to experts in the area, may be used to enable the pad base (61) to move up and down as described above while the linear drive shaft (5) rotates in only one direction. The rotational drive shaft (4) causes the pad to rotate around a center of rotation. Thus, when the motor (3) is operating, the pad (6) both rotates and moves up and down continuously until the apparatus is turned off using the ON/OFF button (8) or until the rotation of the pad (6) is stopped using the clutch, as will be explained later on. The pad (6) is connected to the rotational drive shaft (4) via a set of gear wheels. The pad (6) can and should be made from a material such that the contact between the pad (6) and the user's skin and body produces a pleasant scrubbing and massage effect. The pad (6) protrudes from the casing (2) through the longitudinal slot (21).

Installation of the apparatus (1): The existing water pipe that connects the shower faucet to the shower head may be directly attached to the inlet of the apparatus (1). The water pipe is attached to the apparatus (1) such that it is connected to a regulator (81). The ON/OFF button (8) has three positions: (a) water flows only through the motor (3); (b) water flows through the water pipe (82) to the shower head (83) only; and (c) water flows both to the shower head (83) and to the motor (3).

In the first position, water flows only to the motor (3), which activates the two drive shafts (4) (5) causing the pad to rotate and to move up and down, and so on and so forth, while scrubbing, cleaning and massaging; The second position is chosen when the user wishes to take a regular shower without activating the apparatus (1); and the third position is chosen when the user wants to use the apparatus (1) and at the same time have water come out of the shower head (83) like in a regular shower.

The regulator (81) is attached to the water inlet of the apparatus (1) and has two outlets: one that lets water to flow to the motor (3) and the other that lets water flow through a water hose (82) to the shower head (83). The water that flows to the motor (3) flows on, through a water hose (84), to the pad (6) such that when the motor (3) is operating, water flows out from the pad (6) and helps clean and scrub the user's body. The water hose (84) to the pad (6) is not fixed in place (it can and should be a flexible link hose) so that the pad (6) may move freely up and down with the hose (84) attached to it.

Infusing the pad with soap: The apparatus can and should be equipped with a soap container (9) that infuses the pad (6) with soap while it is moving, so that the soap mixes with the water flowing through the pad (6) and enhances its cleaning, scrubbing and massaging action. The soap container (9) can be refilled from time to time and includes a tubule that infuses the soap into the pad either by force of gravity and/or by means of the Venturi effect. Like the water hose (84), this tubule is not fixed in place and moves up and down with the pad (6) as well.

The clutch (7): The mechanism that attaches the pad (6) to the rotational drive shaft (4) can and should be equipped with a clutch (7) so that the pad (6) rotates and moves up and down only when the clutch (7) is pressed, and when the pressure is lifted, the pad (6) ceases to move. This serves both to protect the user and to avoid unnecessarily movement of the pad (6).

The apparatus (1), subject of the present invention, is an innovative and efficient device both because it is powered by water rather than by electricity and because of its special and efficient structure. 

1. A massage, scrubbing and cleaning apparatus for use in the shower that comprises a casing, a motor, a drive shaft that creates rotational movement, a drive shaft that creates linear movement, a pad, a clutch, an ON/OFF button, a regulator, and a water hose to the shower head.
 2. The apparatus mentioned in claim No. 1 whereby the said motor is a water-powered motor, which is attached to the said drive shafts via a gear wheel system; whereby the pad is attached to a base, which in turn is attached to the two said drive shafts so that the linear drive shaft causes the pad base and the pad to move up and down while the rotational drive shaft causes the pad to rotate around a center of rotation; and whereby the pad is connected to the rotational drive shaft via a clutch.
 3. The apparatus mentioned in claim No. 2 whereby it is also equipped with a soap container designed to infuse the pad with soap. 